Emily August

So, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that this is the summer of rock camp for me. I’ve been donating as much time as possible to the Willie Mae Rock ‘n Roll camp for girls in NYC as a photographer and cheering squad all summer, and its been completely awesome (especially since I quit my full-time job for a better part-time job that gives me a flexible schedule). I only wish I had more time to hang out with everyone involved during and after the camp.

The organization works all year long to raise money and give girls a chance to go to rock camp to learn instruments, get up on stage, write songs, form bands, and put on a show in front of a big crowd of people. I am totally jealous of the experience and wish that I had a chance to do something other than marching band and chorus in school (not that dance team and singing in chorus weren’t fun, but they weren’t exactly a satisfying artistic experience to say the least).

One of the things that Willie Mae Rock Camp does to raise scholarship funds is that they allow Ladies (like me, or my sisters, or our mom, or somebody’s kickass g-ma who has always wanted to play on stage) a chance to have a similar (albeit shorter) experience at Ladies Rock Camp. I help photograph for that, too (along with long-time photographer Kate). One of the campers, Kendra Arnold, wrote a post for the Star Ledger’s Morristown Green Blog about the experience, highlighting the fact that you get your photos taken by Emily August! It rocked my socks off!

Find Kendra’s article here on NJ.com! Featured in the article is this video of the band Kendra was in, which actually inspired me a lot because they had a great, kitschy-but-dark indie pop vibe. Their song was about 90210 (the original), and it is smart and hysterical in its simplicity. I would totally book this band if I were still putting on house shows in Southern Jersey somewhere.

Right now we are nearing the end of the Rock Camp season. This weekend is the Girls Rock Camp showcase, the final one of the year. Its been really fun to hang out randomly all week with the campers, and I wish I had more time to get involved! I have to say its got me itching to start something (another band! a fire!) soon soon soon. Okay, maybe just a theoretical fire.

–other posts about rock camp–
Ladies Rock Camp pictures on flickr
girls rock! the movie
rock camp for girls showcase
inspired by wall space
willie mae mini camp

The hallways of the school where Rock Camp is held. Brooklyn, NY.

Backstage at the showcase yesterday at The Knitting Factory.
The vintage suitcase held lights I never had to use.

Today I’m heading out to photograph at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (ex-North 6th) for the first girls rock camp showcase of 2008! Campers will be performing original songs with the bands they formed while at camp for the past week or so. I’m so excited to see this in action!

So, I never got around to publicly posting any of the photos I took for the Willie Mae organization last month, and there is a reason for that. The campers signed media releases, but I can’t make the photos that I took open to public view because they belong to the organization to use at their discretion. I am sad about this, only because there were some awesome pictures that I took and would love to share with you all. This agreement is something that I discussed with the organizers of the event in advance of my signing on to come and take photos, so I am more than happy to comply.

One group of photos I can share, however, is that of the bands who came to the camp to perform. I suppose its something to do with the expectation of privacy; bands coming to perform on stage know that they are in the public eye. Good thing, too, because you should definitely check out these amazing (and young!) female-fronted bands. There is nothing more inspiring than watching a younger generation pick up the instruments you play and make something amazing from them. These kids are seriously good.

First up was Magnolia. During their set, the gals switched places, each playing songs on guitar or drums and singing. I loved their outfits, and they hung out all day with their friends, enjoying the camp and socializing. They seemed to be the youngest performers, but they handled the gig like pros.

Next up were the stylish duo known as Mod Rocket. I was taken by their fashion choices and really down to earth personalities. They aren’t usually a duo, but they told me that their bassist couldn’t be there because she was sick in the hospital with something. They weren’t even going to do their set, but I’m so glad they did. The singer has such a cool voice, and their songs just have a really great musicality with an alt-folk vibe. I bet we’ll see more of them in the future of Indie Rock.

Lastly, at the end of the day, we were all treated to a performance by Care Bears on Fire! They’ve been getting a lot of press lately, and they totally deserve it. They are so good! And that name! Unfortunately, one of their amps blew out, pushing back the performance by a good chunk of time, but by the time they were ready to rock, I was blown away. Their music is solid, and they have such a great attitude on stage. Totally entertaining and I wish these kids all the luck in the world for continued success in the media.

After the show I had to trek back to New Jersey and hop on a ride home to Rory’s house for Easter. I spent the next few days in a sort of afterglow from the event. The show was really inspiring, and just being around the campers all day long as they picked up on how to play different instruments was enough for Allison and I to start paying more attention to our own guitars at home.

For any ladies in the New York area who are interested, you can help the organization, either by volunteering or attending the fundraiser event Ladies Rock Camp. If I can scrounge up the money, I will definitely be there!

Also, be sure to check out the film Girls Rock! now playing in select locations across the U.S.

Related: All of my posts on girls rock!

Something amazing is happening tomorrow at Union Pool! You may remember me posting about how I was doing some promotions for the Girls Rock! movie. Well, tomorrow I get to attend and photograph a mini-rock camp for girls. The mini-camp is being held by the Willie Mae Rock Camp For Girls, an organization that hosts a rock camp in NYC every summer, as well as an amazing Ladies Rock Camp, which serves as a fundraiser for the organization so that they can provide financial aid to campers who otherwise may not be able to afford to come to camp.

Advance tickets through the web site are $10 per person (18 and under).
Adults come free with a kid.
This event is best suited for kids ages 5 & up.
Adults who wish to attend without kids will be charged $12 at the door.

If you can’t make it, but would like to help out, you can make a donation on the web site, or bid on Fender Stratocaster “Girls Rock!” guitar right now on eBay!

To volunteer for future events, check out the volunteering page. Check out girlsrockcamp.org to read about the history of Girls Rock Camp, and how this all got started in the first place.

Allison and I will both be there, so if you can make it, please say hello.

Rock On!

A few years ago, I lived with a dear friend and roommate of mine who had a lovely house on mountain (still does!) that was just perfect for putting on shows and hosting parties. We put on a show to benefit Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls in a drive they did to have 50 shows in 50 states in order to raise funds for the camp to continue. Basically, the organization runs camps for girls to attend in order to learn self confidence through musical education.

I’ve taken this directly from their site:

Mission
The Girls Rock Camp Alliance is an international coalition of organizations whose shared mission is to empower girls and women using the tools of music education to foster self-esteem and confidence. To this end, the GRCA promotes, strengthens, and expands services provided by its members.

Core values
We value the power of music as a means to create personal and social change;
We value efforts that actively expand opportunities for girls and women;
We value positive approaches to fighting sexism;
We value integrity, honesty and respect;
We value appropriate sharing of resources, cooperation, and collaboration;
We value using our collective voice to further our mission;
We value diversity.

So, super cool, right? I am so excited to see a documentary about the experience of girls in this camp that I decided to sign up and get promotional materials to spread the word! I sent out a mass email to friends asking for their support, and it looks like a bunch of us will be attending the opening weekend on March 7th. Last night while we were out on the town in a local bar, I snuck some flyers and stickers onto a table, and I’ve got my sights set on bringing posters to local coffee shops where you just know some local musicians have got to be spending a lot of their time. The posters are huge! I wonder if anyone will let me even hang them!

Anyway, included in the press kit were a ton of amazing stickers from the organization. I would love to send some out to you if you are interested. Please email me your name and address to my gmail account, which is emilyaugust.

Hooray for Girls Rock Camp and the movie!!